Iran prepares for World Cup debut after months of uncertainty
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Note: This is story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
It was raining goals on Sunday with Germany and Sweden both impressing with big wins. Today, though, soccer takes somewhat of a backseat with Iran set to play its first match of this year’s World Cup.
We have everything you need to know about that incredibly significant match, as well as previews of all the other games that will have soccer hipsters giddy with excitement. We may also get to see Spain superstar Lamine Yamal make his first appearance at a World Cup as he continues his race to recover from injury.
There is plenty to get stuck into ahead of an action-packed (and hot) Monday, so let’s get to it.
Main Thing: Team Melli’s much awaited on-the-field debut
Iran is set to kick off its tournament against New Zealand later today after months of uncertainty and controversy. The political context couldn’t be starker – for the first time in World Cup history, a host nation is at war with one of its participants.
And although an agreement between the two nations could possibly be signed on Friday, it might still surprise some that Iran is even in North America. Visa delays, immigration restrictions, and travel bans have made the logistics incredibly difficult for the squad and there was plenty of rhetoric earlier this year to suggest Iran might pull out all together.
And while Team Melli is ready to play its first game, its preparation isn’t exactly what was planned. Despite its games being played in the US, the team has based itself out of Mexico after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament.
The Iranian soccer federation also announced that its entire ticket allocation had been withdrawn just days before its opening game, making it unclear how many of its fans will be able to watch the match inside the stadium.
Its support will therefore mainly be made up of the Iranian diaspora already in the US, but many of them are divided over whether to support the team given the controversy about what and who the team really stands for.
Multiple protests are expected outside LA’s SoFi Stadium later today, but the team’s star striker, Mehdi Taremi, called for togetherness.
“For many years, the civilized country of Iran has been a united nation. We want to showcase that unity. And we are here at the World Cup to bring joy to Iranians wherever they are,” he said yesterday.
My colleague Julia Vargas Jones spoke to some Iranians living in the US to discuss how they feel about this World Cup amid such unprecedented conditions. You can read more about that here.
Iran vs. New Zealand
When? 9 p.m. ET
Where? Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Los Angeles, California, USA
Putting the political significance to one side, this match doesn’t exactly excite many neutrals (though the aforementioned soccer hipsters will still tune in). Neither side has many stars to speak of, and both will just hope to progress out of the group stage for the very first time.
New Zealand will look to Premier League striker Chris Wood to score its goals, with the captain being the All Whites’ best player by quite some distance. Iran, meanwhile, may be the slight favorite and will also look to rely on its star forward Taremi.
This match is far more significant for what it represents than what we should expect on the pitch.
Spain vs. Cape Verde
When? Noon ET
Where? Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
We saw Germany thrash Curaçao on Sunday and we may see another lopsided mismatch in Monday’s first game. Spain is one of the tournament favorites and boasts a team of ridiculous talent all over the pitch. It’s also the reigning European champion and has arguably the best player in the world, Lamine Yamal, in its ranks.
All that might will come up against Cape Verde, which is set to play its first ever World Cup game. Despite being the undoubted underdog, the African side shouldn’t be totally discounted. The team reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals as recently as 2023 and possesses enough passion to attempt an upset.
It will be interesting to see how much, if at all, Yamal is used by La Roja. The 18-year-old has been recovering from a hamstring injury, missing the end of the club season with Barcelona, and Spain manager Luis de la Fuente decided to start Yamal on the bench against Cape Verde.
The team has more than enough firepower to beat the Tubarões Azuis without its star man, but the teenager will be desperate to play – and the masses will be eager to see him on the biggest international stage.
Quote of the day
These are the words of Marc Serra, Yamal’s former youth coach at Barcelona’s famed La Masía academy. Serra spoke to CNN Sports just days before the start of this year’s World Cup in which Yamal is set to make his tournament debut.
Despite the injury possibly limiting the winger’s minutes in the early stages, Serra still believes it will be a tournament to remember for his former player.
“The bigger the challenge, the better he gets, and the better it goes for him,” Serra says.
“Every day, he’s growing and that’s perhaps what’s most impressive. You don’t see a ceiling to his talent.”
Serra also spoke to CNN Sports about what Yamal was like as a child and what made him stand out from the rest. Read more from that interview here.
No Scotland, no party
If one fanbase has been enjoying the World Cup more than the rest, it’s those from Scotland. The Tartan Army, armed with its bagpipes and jovial spirit, has gone viral since traveling to North America where it’s taken over Boston in style.
But what do thousands of Scots do while waiting for their team’s second group game on Friday? Go to watch MLB, it seems.
The latest string of videos all over social media have shown Scotland fans taking over Fenway Park in Boston to watch the Red Sox.
The supporters may have swapped the Beautiful Game for America’s Pastime, but they still brought their voices, singing and dancing along to music in the stands. This video really makes me want to be Scottish.
World Cup in numbers: Seventh heaven
There have only been five times this century that a team has scored seven or more goals in a World Cup match. And now, after its 7-1 win over Curaçao on Sunday, Germany has been involved in three of them, according to Opta Stats.
Die Mannschaft previously won 8-0 against Saudi Arabia in 2002 and, in 2014, beat Brazil 7-1 … in Brazil. That second result was so traumatic to the South American nation that a term was coined to refer to it: the Mineiraço.
Not a bad record to be a part of.
Belgium vs. Egypt
When? 3 p.m. ET
Where? Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle, Washington, USA
While neither team is likely to actually win the World Cup, both possess plenty of exciting talent to make this game an interesting battle.
Egypt is still led by the legendary Mohamed Salah in attack, who may be competing in his final World Cup. The nation will be looking to the now 34-year-old – happy birthday, Mo! – to hopefully end Egypt’s awful tournament record, with the Pharaohs failing to win a single World Cup match during their previous three appearances.
Belgium, meanwhile, will likely be saying goodbye to the final members of its so-called “Golden Generation” which, in truth, failed to really fulfill its potential at previous tournaments. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 34, will hope to guide some of the younger members of the squad to a decent finish in North America in what will likely be his final appearance on the global stage.
This is one of the games that will be under a heat advisory – the high on Monday in Seattle will be around 89 degrees Fahrenheit (31.67 Celsius).
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay
When? 6 p.m. ET
Where? Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium), Miami Gardens, Florida, USA
Uruguay comes into its first group match as the favorite to beat Saudi Arabia. La Celeste has plenty of elite talent, led by Real Madrid star Federico Valverde – the midfielder is probably playing some of the best soccer of his career and, on his day, can win a match by himself.
Uruguay also has cult manager Marcelo Bielsa in charge who, as well as implementing his distinctive, high-intensity style of play, has provided some box-office moments in his career. For instance, when La Celeste was thrashed 5-1 by the US men’s team back in November, Bielsa gave an extraordinary 90-minute press conference where he called himself “toxic.” The 70-year-old, nicknamed “El Loco,” did not resign though and will take charge of his third World Cup team in North America.
The Saudis will just look to improve on their group stage exit from Qatar 2022. The Green Falcons won just one game that tournament, albeit against eventual champion Argentina.
This game will also be hot and is under a heat advisory. Temperatures are expected to be in the 90s (again, Fahrenheit) in the notoriously muggy South Florida sunshine.
The Final Whistle: Somali ref gets compensation
We’ll leave you today with some news about Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the World Cup referee who was denied entry into the US.
You may remember the Somali was prevented from taking part in this summer’s tournament after arriving in Miami, causing widespread outrage and condemnation of those handling the decision.
And while Artan’s dream of refereeing at a World Cup will have to wait, he’ll still receive his full fee from FIFA, according to the Associated Press.
AP spoke to a person with knowledge of the situation who said Artan was entitled to payment and that the fee would be determined after the tournament finishes next month.
CNN Sports has reached out to FIFA for comment.
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